Observations of Structural Damage to Girder Bridges in Iraq Caused by Blast Threats
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 38, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper summarizes the blast events and resulting damage found on more than 100 bridges in Iraq caused by terrorist attacks. Most structures were two to three lanes wide and composed of a superstructure with prestressed concrete beams that supported a concrete deck. In most cases, terrorists placed charges either on the deck or at the base of columns. Typical structural system failures were due to either intermediate column failure, girder end failure, or girder end failure in combination with midspan failure. It was found that a single blast load on the deck rarely caused collapse, while three or more blast loads distributed across the deck nearly always caused deck and/or span collapse. If at least two girders remained largely undamaged, one lane of traffic could often be directed safely over the structure, allowing a heavily damaged bridge to remain in temporary use. When columns were attacked, charges placed symmetrically caused the columns to collapse downward, whereas charges placed asymmetrically caused significant lateral movement. Although most bridges were simple span, substantial resiliency was observed, where the structures could support large amounts of load even when some critical components theoretically had near-zero capacity. It was further found that separating components, even slightly, could significantly reduce blast damage propagation. Brief recommendations are given to mitigate blast damage.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The completion of this work was facilitated by the reconnaissance effort of numerous individuals from the Roads and Bridges Directorate in Iraq who are not explicitly cited. Adnan D. Salman and Mohammed A. Dawood in particular played a crucial role in providing information and photographs for this paper. The authors express gratitude for their substantial contribution as well as the risks taken by these experts.
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© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 2, 2024
Accepted: May 28, 2024
Published online: Aug 20, 2024
Published in print: Dec 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Jan 20, 2025
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Analysis (by type)
- Beams
- Blasting effects
- Bridge components
- Bridge engineering
- Bridges
- Bridges (by type)
- Concrete beams
- Continuum mechanics
- Decks
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Dynamics (solid mechanics)
- Engineering fundamentals
- Engineering mechanics
- Failure analysis
- Failures (by type)
- Forensic engineering
- Girder bridges
- Man-made disasters
- Solid mechanics
- Structural dynamics
- Structural engineering
- Structural failures
- Structural members
- Structural systems
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